Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome

"Brothers and sisters, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building upon it. But each one must be careful how he builds upon it, for no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ… Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?"
(1 Corinthians 3:9c–11, 16–17)

There is an old story about a man named Thomas, a skilled architect who worked for a large construction company. For many years, Thomas built homes for others — strong, beautiful, lasting homes. But when he was nearing retirement, his employer asked him to build just one last house. Thomas was tired and ready to quit. So instead of putting his best into it, he cut corners: used cheaper materials, skipped small details, and hurried the work along.

When the house was finished, the owner handed him the keys and said, “Thomas, this is your retirement gift — the house is yours.”

Thomas stood there speechless. The house he would live in for the rest of his life was built carelessly — by his own hands.

That story echoes the message Saint Paul gives us today: “Each one must be careful how he builds.”
We are all builders — not of houses made of bricks and wood, but of lives made of choices, relationships, and faith. Every day, you and I are laying bricks — with our words, our actions, our attitudes, our priorities. The question is: What kind of house are we building, and on what foundation?

Saint Paul says there can be only one true foundation: Jesus Christ.

If we build on Him — on His truth, His love, His forgiveness — our life will stand firm even in storms.
But if we build on something else — on comfort, pleasure, pride, or the world’s approval — sooner or later, the cracks will show. And sometimes, those cracks appear in the most painful ways.

Let me tell you about Sarah, a woman who married young. She admitted later that she didn’t love the man she married. But he was successful, kind enough, and everyone said, “You’d be a fool to let him go.” So she did what the world told her, not what her heart whispered in prayer.

Years later, she came to church broken. Her husband had left her with a child for someone else, and her faith had been crushed long before.

She said through tears, “Father, I built my life on what looked solid but it wasn’t Jesus Christ.”

She had built her house on sand, as Jesus warned in the Gospel. And when the storm came, it fell.

But the beautiful thing is this: God didn’t leave her in the rubble. She began again — this time slowly, painfully, prayerfully, not marring anybody but becoming a single mom. She rebuilt on the foundation she had once ignored — on Jesus Christ. And her life changed. The pain didn’t vanish, but her peace returned. Her house now stood firm.

There was also Anna, a devout Catholic woman who married a man who didn’t share her faith. Her parents and friends cautioned her gently: “Faith will be the heart of your marriage — don’t build it without Christ.”
But Anna said, “He’s a good man. That’s enough.”

At first, things went smoothly. But after the wedding, the differences began to surface. He would mock her for going to Mass on Sundays. He rolled his eyes when she prayed the Rosary. When their first child was born, she wanted baptism; he said, “No child of mine will be brainwashed.”

The woman who once sang hymns with joy now prayed in secret, often with tears. She told me once, “Father, I thought marring a man who seemed good would be enough to keep us together but without God, our love lost its center.”

Eventually, her husband left. She was devastated, not only by the loss of her marriage but by the pain of having built her life on a foundation that couldn’t bear the weight of her soul.

Years later, Anna found peace again. She said, “Now I understand Saint Paul — there is only one true foundation. If Christ isn’t at the center, everything else can crumble.”

We all have moments like Anna — times when we build on the wrong foundation. It could be a career,   a friendship, or even our image. We invest time, emotion, and dreams into something that looks right but isn’t rooted in Christ. Then one day, the storms come — disappointment, betrayal, tragedy — and we discover how fragile our “house” really was.

Saint Paul reminds us: “You are God’s building… you are the temple of God.”

Think about that — you yourself are God’s dwelling place. The Holy Spirit lives within you.

What a sacred truth — and yet, how easily we forget it! We fill our “temples” with anger, pride, resentment, or indifference. We let sin crack the walls, selfishness rot the beams. But still, God’s Spirit knocks gently on the door and says, “Let Me in. Let Me rebuild what you have broken.”

There was once a man named David, a successful businessman who confessed to me that he had everything — except peace. He had married a woman he didn’t love because she was “right on paper.” He built a career not because it fulfilled him, but because it impressed others. He had cars, homes, vacations but he was empty.

He told me, “Father, I built my life like a skyscraper — tall and shiny — but the foundation was hollow. I’m terrified it will all collapse.”

And it did. His marriage failed, his company went bankrupt. But that was also when he met Christ in a hospital chapel while visiting a sick friend. There, in silence, he said for the first time, “Lord, I don’t want to build without You anymore.”

And you know what? God didn’t shame him for coming late. God simply handed him the blueprints of mercy and said, “Let’s start again.”

Many of us spend so much energy decorating our lives — polishing appearances, chasing success, maintaining images but we forget to check the foundation. When the storm comes, no decoration can save a house built on sand.

Saint Paul’s words today are not only a warning but also a promise: If you build your life on Christ, you will stand. If your heart is His temple, He will dwell there — not just for a season, but forever.

So, what does this mean for us in everyday life?

It means:

• Before any major decision — marriage, career, friendship — ask: Is this built on Christ?
• Before reacting in anger, ask: Am I letting God’s Spirit guide this moment?
• When you feel lost or broken, remember: God rebuilds what we destroy, if we let Him.

It means having the courage to look at your life honestly — to admit, “Lord, I’ve been building without You.” And then to let Him take over the project.

Sometimes, people come to confession and say, “Father, it’s too late. My life is already in ruins.”
And I tell them, “Do you know who specializes in rebuilding ruins? — God does.”

He doesn’t just repair; He recreates. He doesn’t just patch cracks; He lays a new foundation. That’s what grace is — the power to start again.

So today, let us ask ourselves:

• What am I building my life upon?
• What do I trust more — my own plans, or God’s plan?
• Is my heart truly God’s temple, or have I let something else move in?

If you discover that you’ve built on sand — don’t despair. Today is the perfect day to start again with Jesus Christ as your cornerstone. Because no storm, no sin, and no sorrow can destroy what’s built on Him.

“For no one can lay a foundation other than the one that is there, namely, Jesus Christ.”

May that foundation hold each of us firm — now, and forever. Amen.